When it comes to cover versions, there seems to be an unspoken rule: be careful if the artist is dead. Sure, some covers surpass their originals, such as Nothing Compares 2 U by Sinéad O’Connor (originally by Prince) and I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston (Dolly Parton). But is that true of, say, Nirvana?
This makes Noel Gallagher’s reinterpretation of Joy Division’s Love Will Tear Us Apart – performed so far on BBC Radio 2 and on his US tour, which started last week – particularly alarming.
